Children are often a source of joy and frustration in daily lives. One of the biggest causes of frustration comes from merely trying to convince the child to comply with directions given by an authority figure. In many instances, such compliance requires some measure of discipline. However, it is often difficult to utilize the proper amount of discipline for a particular situation. These days, the use of physical force as a form of discipline is frowned upon by society, and may also result in emotional trauma to a child receiving such discipline. Moreover, this type of punishment may also demoralize a child and lower self-esteem. For example, “spanking” may cause the child to fear the individual (usually a parent) dispensing the punishment. Such discipline may also indicate that physical punishment is an acceptable form of conflict resolution, potentially leading a child to further behavioral problems in the future.
While there are many other ways to discipline a child, many of these methods suffer from various drawbacks. For example, one common method is sending a misbehaving child to his or her room. While this type of punishment may allow a child to “cool off” and reflect upon their behavior, the child remains unsupervised for a certain period of time.
Another common method is known as the “time out” method. A child is required to sit in the corner or remain in a designated area for a given period of time without distractions. However, if unattended, the child may leave the designated area before the end of the stipulated time period.
On the other hand, some parents have opted toward a discipline system that rewards positive behavior. While such a system may be effective, all too often, a parent may overlook negative behavior, thereby creating a situation where the child may not associate a misbehavior with a negative result. In other situations, ignoring misbehavior while rewarding good behavior may indicate, to a child, that the misbehavior is tolerable.
Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus and methods that may be used to discipline individuals by securing an object that is of value to the individual until the individual accomplishes a set goal. The current invention addresses this need.